Efes uses balance to sink Maccabi

Anadolu Efes Istanbul picked up its third consecutive win by defeating the visiting Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 90-77 on Tuesday at Sinan Erdem Dome. Its fifth win in the last six games boosted Efes to a 6-2 record, good for at least a third-place tie, while Maccabi lost its fifth straight game to drop to 1-7. Efes took the lead for good early in the second quarter, pulling away to a double-digit margin and never allowing Maccabi to come closer than 4 points the rest of the way. The hosts had six players in double figures, with big men Tibor Pleiss and Bryant Dunston scoring 14 apiece. Johnny O'Bryant scored 19 in defeat.

The teams changed leads often early on. Maccabi scored 8 unanswered points, but Vasilije Micic hit a pair of triples, with the second one making it 14-10. Scottie Wilbekin and Alex Tyus connected on an alley-oop dunk to beat the buzzer and make it 16-14 after 10 minutes. Krunoslav Simon's triple sparked a 9-0 run early in the second quarter as Efes pulled away to lead 25-17. Five points from Rodrigue Beaubois, including a triple, helped Efes open a 36-24 lead, but DeAndre Kane cut into it by hitting a second-chance triple for a 38-31 halftime score. O'Bryant and Tarik Black got Maccabi within 42-38 before Efes answered with back-to-back triples from Simon and Beaubois at 48-38. After Dunston dunked twice, O'Bryant made back-to-back threes before assisting Tyus on a dunk at 55-48. Brock Motum's three-point play gave the hosts a 62-53 advantage after 30 minutes. Yovel Zoosman's triple to start the final quarter for Maccabi was answered by a pair of them from Motum. Pleiss added 2 close-range baskets to open a 14-point margin, 72-58, for Efes. Wilbekin hit a three-pointer for the visitors, but Shane Larkin had 5 points as the difference rose to 79-63. If there was any doubt left, Larkin's triple with 2:30 to go made it 86-69 as Efes cruised to victory.

Gone in 46 seconds

When Maccabi got within 42-38 after halftime, Efes needed just 46 seconds for Krunoslav Simon and Rodrigue Beaubois hit back-to-back threes for a double-digit advantage, 48-38. In the fourth, when Yovel Zoosman's triple cut the deficit to 62-56, Brock Motum did the same – 2 more triples in exactly 46 seconds – as the margin zoomed to 12 points and Maccabi never recovered again.

Stellar stats

Efes center Bryant Dunston had 2 blocked shots took over second place all-time in the EuroLeague. He now has 196 blocks in 155 career Euroleague games. The only player ahead of him is Fran Vazquez with 249 blocks. Also, his 2 offensive rebounds moved Dunston moved into ninth place all-time in that category, with 348 for his career.

Did you notice?

Coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos made his debut on the bench of Maccabi. It was his first EuroLeague game as a head coach of a team not named Olympiacos Piraeus. Every player in his starting lineup had at least four starts so far this season, but it was also the first game sharpshooter Michael Roll did not start this season. Before this game Roll has started 35 of 36 EuroLeague games in Maccabi uniform.

Next game

Both teams will be in action already on Thursday In Round 9. Coach Sfairopoulos will have his first home game with Maccabi welcoming Fenerbahce Istanbul, while Efes stays at home for a city-derby against host Darussafaka Tekfen Istanbul.

Head Coaches

ATAMAN, ERGIN

Anadolu Efes Istanbul

"It was a good win. It was a much better second half than the first half, in regards to offensive rebounding. We allowed 11 in the first half, but only 5 in the second half. That was important because we played good defense the whole game, we protected our paint with pick-and-roll defense especially well, but we gave them a lot of offensive rebounds, gave them a lot of second chances. In the second half, we took rebounds, and also started to find a lot of easy baskets in transition offense. We got contributions from all our players, and Shane Larkin came back really well after missing two weeks with injury. It was a dangerous game for us, with Maccabi having a new coach. We have another game in two days, we need to prepare for Darussafaka."

SFAIROPOULOS, IOANNIS

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv

"I want to congratulate Anadolu Efes on the win. They played much better, especially in the second half. We started the game really focused defensively. We knew Efes is a great offensively-minded team, scoring a lot of points on its home court and that is why we tried from the beginning to be very aggressive on defense, and we succeeded in the first period to control the game with our good defense, although offensively we were not as good as we wanted to be. In the second quarter, the difference was a little bigger, but before halftime we had some good minutes and the halftime difference was 7 points in favor of Efes, which was not something we could not turn around. During the second half we fought hard and we tried to stay in the game, we tried to come back into the game. Two or three times we had good open shots and good offenses that we missed and we could not cut down the difference to tie the game. In two or three minutes of the last quarter Efes made tough three-point shots and got this lead that by which they won the game. We are not happy with a result, but I am satisfied with the effort. We tried to show aggressiveness and toughness. We need that and we need to fight until the end to win games and, aside from that, we need to improve defensively and offensively. It is not easy to change a lot of things with one practice. I believe in the players a lot and by working hard we will reach the point when we will have good results."

Players

MICIC, VASILIJE

Anadolu Efes Istanbul

"I am very happy and proud of our guys. This win is very important, especially after a great game against Panathinaikos. I think we kept playing at the same level, we kept playing defense, which should be our key through the whole season. Offensively, we have a very good potential, but defensively, if we show our maximum and play with our character, we are a dangerous team for everybody."

DUNSTON, BRYANT

Anadolu Efes Istanbul

"The fans have been coming out and supporting us, and give us the extra energy. Maccabi was making runs in the third and fourth quarters, but the fans gave us a boost and we made some shots. It was great. We are really dangerous when everyone is attacking. We have all five guys who can score for, and as long as we are playing defense, it is going to work."

ROLL, MICHAEL

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv

"I think overall we came out and played really aggressive, I just think it came down to simple mistakes again. We committed too many fouls and put them on the free throw line, we gotta set our pick-and-roll defense a little better, we just got to regroup and keep fighting and stay together. That's all. We just got to be smart. We get a little too aggressive sent them to the free throw line and guys are getting into foul trouble, so we need to continue and play with the same aggressive energy, but just be smart."